Marry Me?
by filmfanatic-29
Summary: Ben knew that there was only one woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with: Leslie Knope. When he struggles with proposal ideas, the rest of the Parks and Recreation department decide to help him out. COMPLETE
1. Ann

**Author's Note: In honor of Valentine's Day coming up, I have written a sickeningly sweet story; this is what happens when you're single for too long. Haha so fair warning: there will be a lot of mush and chick flick moments. Be prepared. If you enjoy that sort of thing, I hope you like this story! This will be a five chapter fic. Also, please check out my other Parks and Recreation stories!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Parks and Recreation in any way; I'm just a simple fan**

Chapter One: Ann

"You're going to PROPOSE?" Ann squealed excitedly and she pulled him into a tight hug. Ben returned the heartfelt gesture, secretly relieved that the brunette was happy for him. He knew that she approved of his relationship with Leslie but it was still nice to see that Ann was so enthusiastic about his plan. Ben and Leslie had been dating for close to two years and he knew that she was the one. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.

"This is so exciting!" she exclaimed. "Oh she's gonna say yes, and then you'll get married, and then you'll have kids and be the cutest family ever!" Seeing his amused expression she apologized and tried to compose herself.

"That's actually why I want to talk to you," he confided. "Do you mind if I come in? I was hoping you could help me with some proposal ideas." Originally Ben was going to talk to Ann while they were at City Hall but he eventually decided that he would rather have such a personal conversation in private.

"Oh of course," Ann replied and waved him inside.

"Do you want coffee? I just made some." Ben nodded and Ann went into the kitchen and poured them each a cup. He thanked her and then the pair sat down at the dining table.

"I'm sorry; I know that this is probably the last thing that you want to talk about on a Sunday morning," he said apologetically.

"Don't be stupid!" She scolded. "I'm happy to help! This is such great news! So you want to talk about the proposal? Do you have any idea of how you want to do it?"

"I'm not sure," Ben admitted. "I always thought proposing would be easy but it's actually pretty nerve wracking. Everything I come up with seems wrong somehow." He had been agonizing over the issue for about three weeks; he wanted something both romantic and unique. Ben finally realized that he needed help and who better to go to than his girlfriend's best friend?

"Do you have the ring yet?" Ann inquired. He nodded, pulled out a small black box, and showed her the engagement ring. It was a half carat emerald cut diamond flanked by a small diamonds on each side set on a 14K yellow gold band. The three stones twinkled in the morning light as if lit by an internal fire.

"Wow, it's beautiful, Ben," she sighed appreciatively and he smiled at her reaction. Ben had always thought the ring was pretty but he hadn't been sure if Leslie would like it as well. Seeing Ann's positive reaction was certainly reassuring.

"Thanks," he replied. "It was my grandmother's. She gave it to me before she passed away and told me to find the love of my life." Ben could still remember her exact words: _Benjamin, when you find your soul mate, give her this ring. Oh don't shake your head at me. Believe me, you'll find a woman who will be the love of your life. Be happy and never let her go._

"She'll absolutely love it," Ann said approvingly.

"I hope so but first I need to figure out how to ask her," Ben said. "God, I hope she says yes." Ann chuckled slightly at the comment but when she saw his troubled expression she stopped.

"Are you actually worried that she'll say no?" she questioned incredulously. Ben didn't respond and instead took a small sip of coffee.

"Ben?"

"A little," he finally confessed. It had been a fear preying on his mind for the past couple of weeks. He knew that Leslie loved him but she was the type of woman who could get any guy. She was sweet, gorgeous, successful, and vivacious. What would she want with a guy who liked comic books and could quote both Star Wars and Star Trek? Logically, Ben knew that he was being ludicrous. Leslie LIKED those things about him. In fact, she was probably a bigger nerd than he was. She constantly talked about Harry Potter and was secretly obsessed with anime. But for some reason he couldn't get rid of his unease. Maybe it was the fact that their relationship was almost going _too _smoothly. Ben kept expecting something to go horribly wrong. Sure they had small squabbles, normal arguments, but in general they very happy together. There was no intense drama, screaming matches, or smashed objects. They happily drank coffee and read the paper in the morning and fell asleep in each other's arms at night.

"She'll say yes," the nurse assured him and lightly squeezed his hand. Ben smiled at her gratefully. It was moments like these that made him realize why his girlfriend was best friends with Ann. She had a way of comforting and calming someone down without being insincere or condescending.

"It's just sort of overwhelming," he said, running his fingers through his hair. "You know, marriage and everything. I definitely want Leslie to be my wife but this is all so new to me. This is the first and only time that I've ever thought about marriage." He had had various girlfriends but those relationships were nothing like the one he had with Leslie. Ben had never imagined forming a future with any of them. Leslie was a completely different matter. He could spend every single day of the rest of his life with this crazy, wonderful woman and still not get enough. Ben had seen her at her best and worst and had loved each and every minute of it. He knew what she looked like in her Hello Kitty pajamas and when she had tears from laughter streaming down her face. Ben knew how she liked her coffee and which songs made her sad. Every little detail he learned about her became a precious secret, something he jealously guarded and kept close to his heart. He didn't want anyone else to know the Leslie he knew.

"But this is just as new to Leslie as it is to you," she reminded him. "Look, I've been Leslie's best friend for a couple of years and I've seen some of her other relationships. And I'm telling her, I've never seen her so in love. You guys are perfect for each other; you have nothing to worry about."

"I'm just so nervous," Ben admitted. "I guess not knowing how to propose is sort of making me freak out even more."

"Yeah, I think once you come up with a plan you'll feel much better. Why don't you take her out to dinner?" Ann suggested. "You know, someplace nice and romantic. I know that she's been dying to try that new Italian restaurant that opened on Grover Street."

"I thought about it," he admitted. It had actually been the first plan that he had considered. He knew that a lot of people proposed over a special meal and Ben saw the appeal….But it just wasn't right.

"It's just… it seems too ordinary. This is Leslie Knope; she deserves something special_._" The brunette studied him for a moment and then smiled sadly. Ben was confused by her sudden change in attitude; she had been so thrilled for them only a couple of minutes ago.

"Are you okay?" he asked, concern evident in his voice.

"I've known for a while that this was coming," Ann confessed softly. "It's so obvious from the way you two look at each other. You guys are practically married anyway; I figured that you would make it official sooner or later. And I'm happy for you guys, I really am. It's just kind of sad that I'm losing my best friend." Ben looked at her quizzically, slightly thrown off by the statement.

"What are you talking about? You know that you guys are always going to be best friends." He knew that Leslie thought of Ann as a sister; nothing would change that.

"It's just…it's going to be different now. You're not just gonna be a boyfriend now; you'll be a _husband_." She said the last word as if it explained everything and in a way it did. Marriage would certainly change not only Ben and Leslie's relationship but also the blonde's relationship with Ann. For a moment he wasn't sure how to respond.

"Whatever happens, you guys will always be close. C'mon, this is Leslie we're talking about. She's not going to abandon you just because we get married," he finally said.

"I know, I know; I'm just being an idiot. Sorry," Ann apologized. "This is a happy occasion." She shook her head, as if trying to dislodge the unhappy thoughts from her head. She gave him a small smile and took a long draught of her coffee.

"Okay, I'm alright. Let's talk more about proposal ideas….Maybe something in a park? Or in the lot behind my house?"

"Hmm, that's not a bad idea," he commented. He glanced at his watch and gave a start.

"Oh crap, I'm going to be late! I'm supposed to meet Leslie at ten thirty!" Ben exclaimed. He hurriedly drained his cup of coffee and hastily threw on his jacket.

"Thanks for all of your help, I really appreciate it," Ben said quickly.

"Of course," Ann replied. "Keep me updated!" He promised that he would and then left.

**Thanks for reading! Please review!**


	2. Tom

**Author's Note: Hi everyone! I just wanted to say thanks to all of my readers/ reviewers! This story has gotten such a nice response and I'm really happy that people like it so far. Hopefully you continue to like it :) Just so you know, I decided to change the rating to T. This story shouldn't have anything too inappropriate but I wanted to change it just to be on the safe side. I appreciate constructive criticism, but please no flames. Also, Happy Valentine's Day! **

**Disclaimer: I do now own Parks and Recreation in any way; I'm just a simple fan**

Chapter Two: Tom

"I heard that you're asking around for proposal ideas." Ben looked up from the documents in his hands and saw Tom staring at him expectantly. He sighed; he should have known that the news would eventually reach Tom. Ever since he had consulted Ann, Ben had started to talk to various people about how he should propose to Leslie. His mother had told him that he should listen to his heart, his father had told him to just do it and stop fussing about, and Chris had gushed for an hour about how happy he was for them. None of it was very helpful in figuring out the details of his proposal and needless to say Ben was still struggling with how to pop the question.

"What the hell dude? Why didn't you ask me?" Tom pouted. He reminded Ben of a petulant child, complete with the bottom lip sticking out.

"I'm sorry," Ben replied truthfully and he placed the papers on the surface of his desk. "It's just… Tom, we have completely different personalities." That was the understatement of the century. It wasn't that he disliked Tom; in fact, the Parks and Recreation administrator was probably one of Ben's closest friends. But the man had once told him that he should hire strippers for his six month anniversary with Leslie. Ben had a feeling that despite his good intentions, Tom would have terrible proposal plans.

"Of course we have different personalities, I'm cool and you're a walking human disaster," Tom said exasperatedly. "That's the point nerd! You desperately need help!"

"I don't need that much help," Ben muttered. The short man gave him a knowing look.

"Fine, maybe I need some help," he conceded. Ben gestured to the seat in front of his desk and Tom instantly sat down. "The problem is that I just can't think of the perfect way to propose to Leslie. I have a bunch of different ideas but none of them seem right. Leslie is everything to me and I want to show her that. She deserves the best and I want it to be everything she's ever dreamed of. You know, something romantic and unique."

"Ben you sound like a woman. Do you have a vagina now?" Tom asked, a horrified look on his face.

"Shut up, this is important to me. I'd be really grateful for some advice."

"Okay, check this out. You get the chief of police to arrest Leslie while she's in her office. It'll cause this huge commotion because everyone will be like 'oh my god, the mayor just got arrested'. She gets taken to the police department and spends the night locked up. Then, the next morning you arrive with bail money and claim she stole your heart and propose to her. Boom, you're done." Ben stared at him blankly.

"I'm not gonna pretend to have her arrested."

"Why not?" Tom whined. "C'mon, do you really want a boring, predictable proposal?"

"No, but don't you think that's a little extreme?"

"Fine, how about this? You tell her that you slept with someone else. She gets upset, you apologize, and then you have the nerd version of hot make up sex. When you're done you tell her that you're gonna leave her for the other woman unless she marries you."

"What? No!"

"Ask her over email?"

"Do you know anything at all about women?"

"Pretend you're choking and then cough up the ring?"

"None of these are even close to what I'm looking for."

"It's not my fault that you're turning down these great ideas," Tom grumbled. Ben was torn between gratefulness and irritation. Being friends with Tom took a lot of energy and oftentimes he felt like he was babysitting a bratty ten year old. But at the end of the day, that was just Tom; he was ludicrous and childish but also entertaining and energetic. In some ways Ben liked having a close friend who was so different from himself; it made life more entertaining. In actuality, he was honestly happy for his input. Sure, he might not use these ideas, but Ben was glad to have a friend who _wanted_ to help. His life as a state auditor before settling down in Pawnee had been fairly lonely. After all, not too many people wanted to be friends with the man responsible for them losing their jobs. But surprisingly Ben had found himself friends with everyone in the Parks and Recreation department, particularly Tom. Seeing him so invested in his proposal plans made Ben realize how much his life had changed since he had fallen in love with a petite blonde.

"Why do you want to help so much?" he asked curiously. "I mean, I appreciate it, I'm just a little surprised." The other man looked at him like he was stupid.

"We're friends, dude. Plus, Leslie's always been there for me," Tom said quietly. "I can do the same for her." Ben studied the other man for a moment. He was so used to Tom acting like an ass that when the he showed a vulnerable side it was always so surprising.

"Anyway, without me, she'd get the worst proposal of the century," Tom joked. Ben couldn't help but laugh. Even though the other man was completely ridiculous and sometimes crazy, Tom could be a really great friend. They talked for a while longer about different ideas but Ben didn't really like any of them.

"Thanks for your help, but I think I'm gonna work on proposal ideas by myself."

"Fine, but we at least need to talk about the staging."

"What do you mean?"

"The key to a great proposal is presentation. We have to trick Leslie into thinking that you're good enough for her." Ben rolled his eyes, which the other man ignored. "Before you even think about proposing to her, you have to make sure that you look the part. Obviously the first things we need to discuss are your clothes." Tom leaned forward and carefully scrutinized his outfit. Ben shifted uncomfortably, not quite used to the close observation. Tom shook his head and groaned.

"Your suits are terrible. You dress like a fourteen year old boy on his way to a middle school dance. You need new clothes," he said bluntly.

"No I don't," Ben yelped indignantly. He looked down at his simple tan suit jacket, dark blue and green plaid shirt, and brown trousers. From what he could tell, his clothes were absolutely fine; maybe they weren't GQ but they suited him.

"What's wrong with plaid?"

"I won't even answer that stupid question," Tom replied and rolled his eyes. "You're getting as bad as Jerry now." Ben frowned unhappily.

"We'll go out on Saturday and find you something to wear for the big day." Ben started to argue but instead he sighed and gave in. It really wasn't the worst idea; maybe it would be nice to wear something special.

"Okay, that's fine."

"You should probably cut your hair too," Tom mused aloud. "And learn how to style it. I know this great salon in Eagleton that could give you a makeover. This one guy, Adam, is incredible; he's done my hair for months now."

"Uh, no," Ben said. After all, he had to draw a line somewhere. "I think I'm just gonna stay like this."

"Well at least with a new outfit she may not notice your terrible hair."

"Let's hope for the best," Ben said dryly. "I'm sorry, I don't want to kick you out, but I have to finish this paperwork by the end of the day."

"It's alright man; I need to get going anyway. I'm meeting Lucy for an early dinner at J.J's diner. We decided that we're gonna try again," Tom said, rising to his feet. He was grinning and clearly very happy that he was back together with his ex- girlfriend.

"That's great," Ben remarked. He had met her once briefly and he remembered her being very pretty and confident; he could see why his friend was into her. "Have a nice dinner."

"Good luck, I'm happy for you," Tom said seriously. Ben was touched and he felt a large smile forming.

"Thanks man," he replied. The other man left and Ben resumed his work but a moment later Tom's head popped back in the doorway.

"Three last pieces of advice. One: however you do it, Boyz II Men needs to be playing in the background. Two: do not talk about the size of your penis. I made that mistake and apparently it doesn't work. Three: if you use candles, try not to set her on fire. I have a buddy who did that to his girlfriend and let's just say that the burn marks didn't make her a pretty bride."

He stared at his friend for a moment and then nodded in acknowledgment. Tom gave him a look of approval and then left the office once again. Ben shook his head in wonder; how on earth did he get such weird friends?

**Tom is a very hard character to write; hopefully I did an okay job with him. Thanks for reading! Please review!**

**Shout outs: **

**-pineapple23: Thanks! I wanted to write something new and I felt like doing something sweet and romantic, so this came out. Haha I've been single too long; this is what I resort to, lol. But I'm glad you thought it was sweet. Thanks for reviewing!**

**-Danielle: Hopefully you like the rest of the story too :) Haha I'm a sucker for chick flick and mush too; it's actually pretty fun to write as well. I'm glad that you like the way I write the characters; I really do try to stay true to their personality. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't lol. Thanks for reviewing!**

**-Phoebe: Haha, yeah, mush and chick flick moments can be so much fun :) Especially with a couple as cute as Ben and Leslie. Thanks for reviewing!**

**-(anonymous): I'm glad you liked the first chapter! Thanks for reviewing!**

**Also, thanks to everyone who favorited/alerted this story!**


	3. Marlene, Andy, and April

**Author's Note: Um….hi everyone. I'm sooooooo sorry for the long wait! I honestly thought that I would have had this up sooner but I was struck with writer's block and I didn't like anything I typed. UGH it was very frustrating. I'm still not really satisfied with this chapter but I thought it was okay and I wanted to post something. **

**Disclaimer: I do now own Parks and Recreation in any way; I'm just a simple fan**

Chapter Three: Marlene, Andy, and April

Ben hesitated, his fingers resting lightly on the door, but he eventually gathered his nerve and knocked three times.

"Come in," a voice ordered a moment later. He smoothed his hair, opened the door, and nervously entered the office. Marlene Knope was sitting at her desk, perusing various documents. She seemed surprised to see him since Ben rarely interacted with her unless they had a scheduled meeting. It wasn't that he disliked Marlene; it was just rather uncomfortable to be with her. Their disastrous first meeting combined with her strong personality made the older woman a little intimidating.

"Oh hello Ben," Marlene greeted. "What can I do for you?" She gestured casually to the seat in front of her desk, inviting him to sit down. He nodded in thanks and took a seat.

"I have to talk to you about something. It's just, well….You know how some animals mate for life? Not all obviously, but there are some species. Leslie told me that lobsters mate for life, which is actually pretty surprising. Who would have guessed? You know that she loves "Friends" and apparently Phoebe mentions something about lobsters. I figured that the metaphor is appropriate to my situation because Leslie is my lobster. Not an actual lobster! Obviously she's your daughter. I mean-"

"Sweetheart, the rambling is cute, but I have a meeting in ten minutes."

"Oh right, of course." Ben took a large gulp of air and tried to hide his anxiety. Based on the amused expression on the older woman's face, he wasn't succeeding. "I'm going to propose to Leslie and I wanted to ask for your blessing."

Marlene stared at him in silence.

"She's the one for me," Ben said seriously. "I've wanted to do this for a while but I realized that before I asked her I should talk to you first." She carefully evaluated him and he tried to resist the impulse to squirm.

"What if I was to say no?"

"Huh?" Ben stared at her open mouthed. He certainly didn't expect that; Marlene's expression was blank and he couldn't tell what she was thinking. It was fairly unnerving.

"What would you do if I said that I don't approve?"

"Is that what you're saying?" The older woman shrugged and her dark eyes never left his.

"I would be upset," he replied carefully. "But it wouldn't change the fact that I'm in love with your daughter and I want her to be my wife. I think that in time you'll see that she's everything to me and I hope you learn to approve of us. But I know it would mean a lot to both of us to have your blessing when I pop the question." The two sat in silence for a couple of minutes but eventually Marlene chuckled. She leaned forward, a sly grin on her face, and casually pinched his cheek. Ben gave a slight yelp and pulled back in surprise.

"You're a good man Ben Wyatt and she's lucky to have found you," she said. "And you're damn lucky to have found her. My Leslie is a good girl."

"I know."

"When I first met you I thought you were a spineless fool," Marlene admitted. Ben grimaced; he knew that he didn't make such a great first impression on the older woman. "But you've proven me wrong. You are exactly the sort of man I want for my daughter: smart, responsible, and caring. I know that you'll take care of her."

Her expression shifted from happiness to seriousness. "But I'm warning you Benjamin, if you break Leslie's heart, you will face a formidable opponent who has a large amount of power here in Pawnee. And I'm not a particularly forgiving woman."

"I would never hurt her," Ben vowed seriously.

"Good boy," Marlene remarked. "And good luck with your proposal. I'm sure she'll say yes; I've never seen her more in love." Ben grinned in response; he still couldn't believe that such a fantastic woman was in love with _him_.

"I'm very fond of you dear but you need to leave now; John Sanderson is coming any minute."

"Okay, got it, leaving now," he said. He got up and before Ben left he thanked Marlene again. She simply nodded in acknowledgement and he knew that they had reached an understanding. No matter what happened, Ben and Marlene would always be connected by their love for Leslie. She would always be incredibly important to them both and no matter what they would do what was best for her. Ben left the room and headed back to his own office. Ben practically felt like skipping down the halls but he restrained himself to a large grin. He spotted April and Andy at the shoeshine stand and walked over to say hello.

"Hey Ben!" Andy called out excitedly. "Look at this!" The other man held up a huge sandwich that was filled with all sorts of food.

"What on earth is that?"

"I just created a new type of sandwich," he declared proudly. "It's called 'Andy's Love Machine' and I put every type of candy that I love in it. See, we have Starbursts, Mallomars, Reeses, Skittles, Milk Duds and even a couple of Mike & Ikes. I've been trying to figure out the perfect combination for a while and now I finally have it!"

"That sounds….interesting," Ben said hesitantly and eyed the object in question disdainfully. In truth the sandwich looked fairly disgusting but he didn't have the heart to tell Andy.

"Your face looks weird," April noted with a frown.

"No it doesn't."

"Yeah it does. Wait… you look like someone just told you that you won a Grammy or something," Andy said. "Something is definitely up. Tell us!"

"Well, I'm going to propose to Leslie; I just talked to Marlene about asking for her blessing and she said yes," Ben admitted. Andy gasped in shock while April gave him a blank look.

"Dude, that's awesome sauce! I told you that you guys would end up getting married!" He exclaimed and his eyes were bright with happiness. "See babe, I was right!"

"Oh goodie," she replied with a grimace. Ben realized that most normal people would be slightly offended by the reaction but he knew April; sarcastic comments and insults were part of her quirky, irritating charm.

"I still have to ask Leslie," he told them. "But I didn't want to do it before I talked to her mom."

"How are you going to propose? Don't be a nerd and quote Star Trek when you ask her," Andy said seriously. "That seriously turns off girls."

"What else is he going to talk about?" April asked with a smirk. "He only knows nerdy things."

"For the record, Leslie liked "Star Trek" when we watched the original series a couple of weeks ago."

"She was lying," April responded quickly. Andy laughed and Ben indignantly rolled his eyes. No matter how much he tried to tell people, he always had a hard time convincing others that Leslie was a bigger nerd than he was. Sure, everyone in the Parks and Recreation department knew of her love of Harry Potter, but only Ben knew that she was secretly obsessed with "Sailor Moon" and "Firefly". That was part of the reason he loved her; he could share his various interests with her without fear of ridicule. Ben didn't have to be embarrassed by his Star Wars collection, Batman suit or TARDIS t-shirt. Leslie simply accepted him and all of his nerdiness and he did the same with her.

"You guys know that I can have a conversation without quoting a science fiction series or movie, right?"

"How would do we know that you're not quoting one right now?" she questioned with a pointed look and raised eyebrow.

"That's true," Andy replied. His eyes narrowed in suspicion and he began to look Ben up and down. "It sounds like something you would do."

"You're right, you guys caught me," Ben remarked dryly and he shook his head in exasperation and fondness. It was times like these that he remembered being roommates with the married couple. Living with Andy and April had been an experience to say the least; they could be ridiculous but amazing. He had been woken up too many times to count by the alarm of the smoke detector because they had done some weird food experiment but they had also listened to him vent his frustrations. At times he had felt like he was living with kids; marshmallow fights, complete and utter mess, casual movie nights and parties. In a way, Andy and April had become his siblings. Sure they would annoy each other but at the end of the day they had each others' backs.

"Thanks you guys," Ben said suddenly. The couple looked at him, clearly confused by the sudden expression of gratitude. "Andy, you really helped me come to terms with my feelings for Leslie and convinced me to not give up. It would have been the worst mistake of my life." The other man rubbed the back of his head and seemed embarrassed by the praise. "And April, you've been great too. You kept me pretty level headed when I was going through some stuff so thank you. Both of you are really good friends."

"You're being an idiot," April muttered but Ben could see the faint blush on her cheeks.

"Let us know if you need anything," Andy said. "Oh! Do you want MouseRat to play for you when you propose? You know, set the mood and all. I have this great song called "Sex Hair" that I know Leslie likes. I'm sure you'll get lucky if we do that song."

"I don't think so but thanks for the offer."

"We're really happy for you," Andy announced truthfully and even April showed him a small, rare smile.

"I appreciate it," Ben replied with a grin. "Sorry, but I have to go. I'll see you later." He waved goodbye and continued to his office.

**For some reason I'm enjoying writing Marlene now; I don't know why. I feel like she's feisty but deep down she cares a lot for her daughter. But April and Andy were kind of tough for me; they're so awesome in the show and I can't help but feel like I didn't do them justice. Hopefully I'm wrong and they were okay and fairly in character. Thanks for reading! Please review!**

**Shout outs:**

**-Stormy Why: I'm glad that you like this story too :) Lol yeah Tom can be a jerk but he can be funny or sweet and then you just have to love him. He's very hard to write; I'm always really worried about keeping everyone in character. Some are easy, like Ben, but I definitely struggle with those that I don't really write about. Oh I couldn't mess with Ben's hair! It's too perfect. But I'm glad that I'm not the only one who loves it. Thanks for reviewing!**

**-Phoebe: I'm glad that Tom was okay! He's hard to make annoying but still likable; I don't know how the writers of Parks and Recreation do it. Haha yeah, I figured he would want to take Ben shopping and Ben would probably hate everything Tom picked. I love Ben's hair too! I just want to run my hands through it :) Thanks for reviewing again!**

**Thanks to everyone who alerted/favorited this story!**


	4. Ron, Donna, and Jerry

**Author's Note: I'm so sorry for the delay! Thanks for being so patient with my bad updating skills. Also, I just realized that it didn't really make sense for Ben to be working at City Hall…sorry about that! It just made the story easier to have all the characters in a central location. Let's pretend that he eventually goes back to work there, shall we? Haha sorry, I'm a lazy writer. I'm not really happy with this chapter, the pacing seems off, but I didn't want to delay even longer. Hopefully you guys like it :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Parks and Recreation in any way; I'm just a fan**

Chapter Four: Ron, Donna and Jerry

Leslie had decided to throw a huge surprise party for Ann's birthday at the brunette's house. The entire Parks and Recreation department, numerous employees from City Hall, and various doctors and nurses from the hospital were in attendance. When Ann arrived home everyone leapt from behind different pieces of furniture and she practically jumped in surprise. Ben smiled at the nurse's expression; her eyes were wide in shock but she had a gigantic smile on her face. Leslie seemed very satisfied with herself and gave her best friend a huge hug.

It wasn't long before the party got into full swing. Music was playing in the background and everyone was talking, dancing, and having fun. Ben sighed in happiness; between work and his upcoming proposal, he had had a couple of stressful weeks. It was nice to spend quality time with his girlfriend and his friends and just relax. April and Andy talked about their plans to adopt a new dog to be a friend for Champion and Chris seemed determined to get Ben and Leslie to try a new jogging regimen. Ben shook his head; there was no way his girlfriend would ever listen to the fitness enthusiast's exercise advice. He knew that his friend meant well but Chris's zeal could be a little hard to take.

Ben took a swig of his drink and noticed that he had finished the bottle. "Leslie, I' m gonna grab another beer, do you want anything?" She shook her head and placed a quick kiss on his cheek. He smiled at her and then headed towards the kitchen. The house was packed and it took a while for Ben to maneuver through the groups of people. He eventually made it to his destination and noticed that Jerry and Ron were in the kitchen as well.

"Hey Jerry, hey Ron," he greeted happily. Jerry waved in reply but the other man glared at him. Ben was a little startled by the treatment; he and Ron had never been very close but as far as he knew they got along well enough. Ben tried to figure out what was going on but he couldn't think of any reason why the older man would be mad at him.

"Uh, is everything okay?"

"Son, you need to propose to Leslie. NOW," Ron growled.

"Wait, what?" Ben yelped. That was not at all what he expected the other man to say. He had assumed that Ron was in charge of a project or something that he didn't want to deal with; the last thing he expected the mustached man to talk about was relationships.

"Leslie knows that something is wrong; you've been acting like a prepubescent girl," Ron said bluntly, his mouth twisting into a grimace. "You need to man up and pop the damn question so that I don't have to listen to her complaining. She's got it into her head that you're having doubts about your relationship."

"She thinks that I don't love her?" Ben asked with alarm. That was the absolute last thing he had wanted. Despite his best efforts, it wasn't that surprising that Leslie caught on that something was up with him. Ben had never been good at keeping secrets and hiding things; it wasn't in his nature. He tended to get very twitchy and anxious. He hadn't noticed any change in his girlfriend's behavior and Ben was upset that he hadn't realized that he had caused her distress. "I didn't know…"

"No, she knows that you love her," Jerry said comfortingly. "But she's a little worried that you're unhappy. You know Leslie, she tends to get…enthusiastic." Ben groaned and ran his fingers through his hair. That was putting it mildly; there was no middle ground with his petite blonde. Leslie had the unfortunate habit of tackling any and every problem with full gusto. Ben was actually a little surprised that she hadn't confronted him about his odd behavior yet.

"This whole thing is ludicrous; it's obvious to everyone that you're wrapped around her finger," Ron commented dryly.

"I'm not wrapped around her finger," he protested. The other two men gave Ben pointed looks and he gave a little sigh. It was rather pathetic how much influence Leslie had on him, but he could think of worse fates.

"Fine, you're right. So she's been talking to you guys about us?"

"Yeah," Jerry confessed. "She asked a bunch of people if they knew what was going on with you."

"She wanted to discuss _feelings _with me." Ron shuddered. "It needs to stop."

"What needs to stop?" Donna asked as she entered the room. She began to examine the various bottles on the kitchen counter, trying to decide what she wanted to drink.

"Leslie," Ron said. "She's driving me crazy; Ben needs to propose to her before resort to drastic measures."

"Oh yeah, our girl is freaking out," Donna replied with a laugh. "I don't know what you did to her, but Leslie is crazy in love with you." Ben tried to keep a smug look off of his face but he was pretty sure that he didn't succeed. He couldn't help it; it was great to hear that the girl he was in love with felt as strongly as he did.

"Everyone knows that you're going to propose except Leslie herself. So put her out of her misery and ask her to marry you before you both die of old age," Ron advised.

"Why bother getting married?" Donna asked. "It's not worth the hassle." She had never understood why people rushed down the aisle; there were so many other ways to have fun.

"Don't listen to her. Marriage is beautiful and can be wonderful if you've found the right person," Jerry assured him. "Gayle and I have been happily married for close to thirty years and it was the best decision I ever made." Ben looked curiously at the other man and was touched by his sincerity. For some reason it never occurred to him to talk to Jerry about his proposal, but maybe he should have. While Jerry was generally clumsy and awkward, it was clear that he had a loving and healthy relationship with his wife.

"You're looking to Jerry as an example?" Donna asked pointedly. The man in question frowned but the others couldn't help but laugh. After all, they were talking about _Jerry_.

"Son, I've been married three times and the only good thing that came out of them is that I get the chance to burn multiple ex-wives effigies. I haven't had luck in any of my marriages but who knows? Maybe you two will work out," Ron said with a shrug. That was the nicest thing Ben had ever heard from the gruff Director of the Parks and Recreation Department and he was momentarily touched that so many people were invested in his relationship with Leslie.

"I'm actually proposing to her next Friday," Ben admitted. "I've got a plan but I wanted it to be a surprise. I'm trying to hide it from her and I've been a little nervous about it. I guess Leslie noticed my weird behavior."

"A blind man can spot your weird behavior," Ron remarked.

"I'm very happy for both of you," Jerry said simply. "I know that you will be very happy together."

"Well at least she'll stop whining soon," Ron muttered and Donna chuckled.

"You realize that she's still going to be crazy after the proposal, right? She's going to want to talk about wedding plans," she told Ron. The older man scowled and began to grumble to himself about women.

"Good luck," Jerry said cheerfully and Ben thanked him.

"Oh crap! Sorry, I have to get back to Leslie. I told her I was only grabbing another beer," he said quickly, realizing how long he had been talking to the three of them. He started to head towards the door but Donna stopped him.

"Ben, you'd better take care of our girl," she threatened with a raised eyebrow.

"He will," Ron replied. "He knows what will happen to him if he doesn't." Ben gulped nervously and a tremor ran through him. His friends were great but sometimes they could be scary. Ben assured them that he would and both seemed satisfied with his answer. Ben said goodbye again and searched for Leslie. He found her talking with Ann in the living room. Ben looked at them for a couple of seconds, noticing how Leslie's blonde hair caught the light and the way her blue eyes were alight with excitement. He knew that his girlfriend was a beautiful woman, but it was moments like these that made him realize how extraordinary she was. Leslie was so _bright_; she was naturally gregarious and charismatic. She was in her element when she talked and interacted with people and she could connect effortlessly to both men and women. It was no wonder that practically everyone in Pawnee loved Leslie Knope. Ben didn't know why she chose to be with him, but every day he was grateful that she did.

Ben continued towards them and gently placed his hand on the small of Leslie's back. They stopped mid-conversation and both turned to face him.

"What took so long? I thought for a second that you were taken by aliens or something," Leslie joked with a grin. Ben didn't say a word as he wrapped his fingers in her long hair and kissed her. She tensed for a moment, surprised by his actions, but soon melted into the kiss. It started off soft and tender but then became passionate and intense. Leslie pressed herself closer to him, her arms completely wrapped around him. He heard Ann give a slight cough but he ignored her. Ben deepened the kiss, his tongue insistently exploring Leslie's mouth. She always tasted so sweet; he would never get enough of her. After a couple of minutes he broke the kiss and looked down into Leslie's flushed face.

"Wow," she murmured. "What was that?" While they didn't mind sharing quick pecks or casual embraces, they very rarely engaged in overt public displays of affection.

"I just felt like it," Ben said nonchalantly and he wrapped his arms around her. "I love you so much Leslie." She smiled and placed another soft kiss on his lips. Ann coughed a second time and they broke apart again. Ben and Leslie turned towards the pretty brunette, who was watching them with a mixture of amusement and embarrassment. As much as Ann loved them both, she didn't necessarily want to see them devouring each others' faces.

"Sorry Ann," Leslie giggled, not looking the slightest bit sorry.

**Only one more chapter to go! Thanks for reading! Please review!**

**Shout outs:**

**-Cinderwing: I'm glad that you loved it and my characterization was spot on! Always good to hear :) Sorry that there wasn't too much Chris in it, but at least there was a little bit! Thanks for reviewing!**

**-whippedcreamnwaffles: It's so nice to hear that you like this story as well as my other ones! It's very flattering :) Haha I loved 'awesome sauce'! It's so sweet and hilarious at the same time. Honestly, that phrase just captures Parks and Rec; it's quirky, cute, and funny. Thanks for reviewing!**

**-WithEveryBreath: I know, I wish Parks and Rec would be back already. Stupid hiatus! Thank you, I'm really pleased to hear that I'm spot on with characterizations. Since you've read my other stuff, you know that that's always a big concern of mine. The show is hard to go really out of character with but a lot of times I feel like I can't capture the awesomeness of the Parks and Rec writers. But I usually am pretty comfortable writing Ben; he's so gosh darned cute and awkward! I'm flattered that you like my other stories too! Haha The Bubble was great and Marlene really was the best choice, but I would definitely like to see Lindsay in a future Parks and Rec episode. I died when Marlene flirted with Ben! Don't be sorry, I love long reviews! Thanks for reviewing!**

**-pawneeg0ddess: Wow, that's incredibly flattering; that makes me very happy to hear. I'm very excited to read your Ben/Leslie story; I'm sure it'll be great! I hope I don't let you down with the proposal; after all this build up I'm afraid that it won't be as good as what you're anticipating. Haha I could see that happening, with Leslie ruining Ben's proposal plan by asking her himself. As long as they get engaged and are happy I don't care how he proposes in the show. Thanks for reviewing!**

**-StormyWhy: Okay, it sounds like I'm not the only one that wants to ruffle Adam Scott's hair ;) Yeah they're not easy to write; I guess I always feel like they're funnier in the show. But I'm glad that I stayed in character. Thanks for reviewing!**

**Also, thanks to everyone who favorited/alerted this story!**


	5. Leslie

**Author's Note: Hi everyone! I am SO SO SO SORRY for the long wait! Finals and surgery kept me busy and I haven't had a chance to write. But now it's summer and I should have more time. Anyway, this is the last chapter! I haven't said this enough but thank you to ALL of my readers and reviewers; you guys are amazing! I've gotten such a great response to this story and it was so much fun to write. This chapter was hard because it didn't want to co-operate but overall I'm happy with what I ended up writing. After all of this buildup, I hope I don't disappoint you guys. The idea for this came from the episode 3x10 episode "Soulmates". Constructive criticism is appreciated but please no flames.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Parks and Recreation in any way; I'm just a simple fan.**

Chapter Five: Leslie

"I can't believe that you convinced them to let me back in," Leslie admitted. "The last time I was here they swore that they would never let me set another foot in here ever again." She glanced anxiously at the manager, as if waiting for him to unceremoniously throw them out of the snow globe museum.

"Don't worry, everything is fine. It was a bit of a struggle but I was very persuasive," he said nonchalantly. Truth be told, it hadn't been that easy. During her last visit his girlfriend had garnered quite a reputation for "disturbing" the snow globes and the employees were reluctant for a repeat performance. Ben had practically begged on his hands and knees, desperate for their consent, until the manager had finally relented.

"Also, they made me swear that I wouldn't let you shake them."

"I wasn't nearly as bad as they thought I was," Leslie grumbled. "Okay, maybe I shook some of them….or all of them, but it's not like I smashed them! Snow globes are MEANT to be shaken! That's the fun of them!" The petite blonde whined about the overly strict policies and he couldn't help but laugh. Leslie pouted for a moment but then giggled as well.

"Thanks, this is going to be great," she said sincerely. Ben smiled and gently laced his fingers through hers.

"This way you're not tempted to pick them up and shake them," he joked. Leslie rolled her eyes which only made him laugh harder.

Once they were finished teasing each other the couple walked up to the ticket booth, bought admission tickets, and then entered the museum. It was small but had a cozy, serene atmosphere. The museum had two floors and on each level there were two large rooms. The four rooms had multiple display cases which housed various snow globes and there were plaques on the light blue walls that described the history of snow globes. Ben knew that most people would consider this sort of thing as lame but he loved it. It was nice, interesting, and he liked perusing through the numerous orbs.

Leslie had been so excited when she first told him about the museum. She had described in detail the different types of snow globes and how much fun it was to browse through them. At one point she abruptly stopped, as if afraid that he would find her too nerdish or boring, but Ben loved that Leslie was the type of person who enjoyed snow globe museums. He had assured her that it sounded fascinating and promised that he would check it out. She responded with a pleased, huge grin and at that moment he realized that Leslie Knope was the most beautiful woman he had ever met.

They started on the first floor and aimlessly wandered through the rooms. There weren't that many people so it seemed as if Ben and Leslie had the museum to themselves. Ben and Leslie looked at everything in each display cabinet and discussed which ones they liked the most. There were so many different types of snow globes, some which had delicate, ornate statues while others had photographs. They were all bright, colorful, and pretty. Ben was partial to one that featured Star Wars and a small Yoda figurine while Leslie liked one showed two little girls, one blonde and the other brunette, playing with each other. She sighed and expressed her disappointment that she didn't know Ann when she was younger.

They were having a lot of fun but when they finished the first floor Ben began to feel nervous. With the help of some of the museum's workers, he had set up his surprise on the second floor. The pair walked up the stairs and began to explore the second floor. Leslie talked about the various globes but Ben was too nervous to string three words together. He knew that he was acting strange and she instantly picked up on his weird behavior. She scanned him with her eyes, trying to detect the problem, but Ben assured her that he was okay. Leslie grudgingly accepted his response and once again the two began to walk through the museum. They paused in front of a display cabinet and his heart began to pound in his chest. It was time.

"Aw, there are some cute ones in this case! Look at the-" she instantly stopped talking, her eyes riveted on one snow globe in particular. It was fairly large and inside the orb was a picture of them from the Harvest Festival. Leslie was smiling brightly and the sunlight made her golden hair shine. Ben was standing beside her in his Li'L Sebastian t-shirt with a wry grin on his face. The confetti inside the globe was silver and shaped like miniature hearts, which twinkled happily in the light. On the base of the snow globe, the words _Will you marry me? _were engraved on a small plaque.

"Ben…"

"I think this might be my favorite photo of us," he said. "Because that was the day that I knew that I was in love with you." Ben placed his hands on her face and gently kissed her. He pulled away and looked nervously at the shocked woman.

"Leslie, I'm not great at speeches. I'm awkward and I ramble and…well, you know all of this already," he mumbled uncomfortably. "But I also want you to know that these past two years have been the best of my life. You are my heart, plain and simple." He had never been so tense in his entire life.

"I never thought I would find someone like you," Ben confessed. "Being a state auditor made it hard to meet people but I didn't mind. It never bothered me. But then I met you and I _wanted_ it all. I never imagined that I would want this life but…I do." He knelt on his right knee and pulled out the velvet ring box from his pocket. The room was silent for a moment, the enormity of the situation hitting both of them. Leslie was staring at him, her blue eyes wide in astonishment, and her mouth was hanging open. Ben was pretty sure that his hand was shaking but he tried to steady it.

"Leslie Knope, will you marry me?"

She didn't verbally respond but instead pulled him up to his feet and kissed him fiercely. Her mouth was hot and insistent, consuming his senses, and he eagerly responded. Ben snaked his arms around her and readily pressed his body against hers. After a couple of minutes Leslie pulled away and her pretty face was flushed.

"You gave me a heart attack!" She said indignantly and lightly smacked his shoulder. Ben yelped, unprepared for the action, and a moment later Leslie pulled him in for another kiss. It was gentler this time and her lips were soft and smooth.

"I'm getting some mixed signals here," Ben said when he broke the kiss.

"Of course I will, you nerd!" Leslie exclaimed and he noticed that she had started to cry. He quickly slipped the ring onto her finger and pressed an open mouthed kiss on the palm of her left hand. Ben was amazed, dumbfounded that she said yes, and completely ecstatic. He couldn't stop himself from peppering every inch of her skin in kisses and Leslie did the same to him. He was indescribably happy and at that moment everything was right in the world.

Ben whispered "I love you" non-stop, the intimate words like a mantra; he couldn't help it. He had never liked the idea of possession in relationships and had shied away from such obligation in the past. But it was different with Leslie; he wanted to belong to her. She was _his_, just as he was hers.

They kissed for a couple of minutes, basking in the moment, and eventually decided that they wanted to go home and celebrate. Ben reached into the cabinet to get the special snow globe and handed it to Leslie, who protectively cradled it in her hands. Before they left the museum Ben made sure to thank the manager for allowing him to set up his surprise. The older man was delighted to hear that Leslie had accepted and wished them a lifetime of happiness.

Leslie was extremely hyper and eager to share their happy news. Once they got into their car Leslie began calling everyone. Literally. Ben was pretty sure that she contacted every person who lived in Pawnee. Everyone in the Parks and Recreation department was excited for them and Ben thanked them for their help. Even though he didn't use any of their specific ideas, they gave him support and inspired him to propose to Leslie in his own way. Ben had wanted the proposal to be unique and special and he was pretty sure that he achieved his goal. But he never would have come up with his plan without the help of the Parks and Recreation department. Ben was so glad that he had such amazing people in his life and he was grateful to have them as his friends. The sight of his ring on her finger gave him a warm, satisfied feeling and he couldn't wait to marry Leslie.

The couple was giddy for the rest of the day and nothing could destroy their contentment. Ben still couldn't believe that she said yes; how on earth did he manage to convince this beautiful, smart, kind woman to spend the rest of her life with him? It was like a dream. They spent the rest of the day with each other, talking about the future and their upcoming wedding, and simply enjoyed being with each other.

"Ben, I'm so happy," she whispered to him later that night while they were lying in bed together. His embrace with comforting and Leslie loved being in his arms. Her body was molded against his she was resting her head on his chest.

"I am too," he replied and pressed a soft kiss onto her forehead.

"I spent so many years dating jerks and idiots that I doubted that I would ever find a guy like you," Leslie admitted. "But here you are! I really do love you Ben because you're my heart too." She tenderly kissed him and in the darkness the two leisurely explored each others' bodies. Their movements were slow, methodical, and unrushed; after all, they had the rest of their lives for discovery.

**That's all folks! Hopefully the proposal was romantic, unique and unexpected. Thank you for sticking with this story and following it to the end. Thanks for reading! Please review!**

**Shout outs:**

**-anon: Sorry for the long wait! It was unintentional, believe me. See I like Robb Lowe but sometimes the character Chris grates me. He's definitely someone that works better in small doses. Aww thank you, that's very flattering! I appreciate it :) Thanks for reviewing!**


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